


A Lucky Escape

by Beleriandings



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 03:32:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7874518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beleriandings/pseuds/Beleriandings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the battle, Zeno struggles to understand what his power truly is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lucky Escape

It was a long time before Zeno was able to disentangle himself from his own thoughts enough to remember where he was, what he was doing. He was still sitting in the mud, with the rain coming down all around him as a torrent, slicking his hair down over his face even as it washed away the blood, as though it had never been there.

“Ze… Zeno…?”

_Abi._

The weak, cracking voice from beside him made him start, realising he was letting his hand linger on the place at his shoulder where the great bloody gash has been, only minutes before. The place where now was only smooth, unmarked skin. He pulled his hand away, too quickly; almost guiltily. With great effort, he forced a smile as he turned to see Abi still lying beside him, struggling to raise his head as the paralysis began to wear off and he drifted back to consciousness.

Abi scrabbled at the muddy ground, and Zeno helped him to sit up, gently smoothing back rain-darkened blue hair as Abi leaned on him, looking around. “They’re gone?”

Zeno nodded, slowly. “Unless you see any more, hiding somewhere. But I think the last of them ran off.”

Slowly, Abi scanned their surroundings, forearms still clasped with Zeno’s, then nodded. “Yes, it’s just us.” He paused, scrutinising Zeno so closely that Zeno nearly quailed under that unearthly, iridescent golden gaze, familiar as it was. But just as Zeno expected him to speak, Abi seemed to change his mind, shaking his head and looking a little disturbed.

Zeno tilted his head. “What is it?”

“Nothing” said Abi, a little too quickly. “It’s just… back there I thought I saw…”

Zeno’s blood ran cold. Whatever had just happened, he knew he wasn’t ready to talk about it; not yet anyway, not even with Abi, who was closer than a brother. _But if Abi had seen any of that, if he had had any awareness_ … Zeno wallowed nervously. “Thought you saw…?”

“…Nothing. Just… dreams, I suppose. Not that I’ve ever…“ he tailed off, rubbing his eyes and changing my the subject abruptly. "It’s nothing, I’m sure.” He smiled wanly, reaching out to gently touch the rain-sodden, torn edges of Zeno’s tunic, where the sword had sliced through and into the flesh below. Zeno had to make a great effort not to wince.

“It’s silly” said Abi, with a wan smile, “but when that man tried to cut you, I thought I saw…” he frowned. “But no, he just got your clothes. You must have had a very lucky escape though.”

“Yes, I suppose I did” said Zeno, releasing a breath he hadn’t realised he’s been holding. He grinned. “The King would cry if I had let anything happen to you, and besides, Hakuryuu and Ryokuryuu would have me fearing for my own life.”

They both knew that neither of the others would have hurt Zeno, but still, Abi laughed quietly, which was what Zeno had wanted. “I suppose we don’t strictly have to tell them all the details.”

Zeno nodded, extremely thankful for that. “It’s enough that we survived.” For the first time he noticed there was blood at Abi’s shoulder. “Oh! You’re hurt?”

Abi grimaced, bringing a hand up to touch the place. “It’s not so bad, just a sword-cut from one that resisted a little too long.”

“Still” said Zeno. “We should get back, and have it cleaned and bandaged.” He only knew a little of medicine, but he had seen soldiers with even lesser wounds die when they went bad, and the fact that Abi had been lying in the mud on the battlefield surely would not help. He held Abi’s forearms a little tighter. “Can you stand?”

Abi breathed out. “….Give me just another moment.”

Zeno nodded. After a few minutes - when the paralysis had worn off entirely and Abi was able to walk - they scrambled up together, with Abi still half-leaning on Zeno’s shoulder.

“Come on” said Abi gently, taking his hand when Zeno didn’t move at first. “Let’s go back. The others will be worrying.”

Mentally, Zeno shook himself, then nodded.

The night had passed and it was full light when they reached the little hillfort that they had been using as their base away from Hiryuu Castle, when they had come out here to quell the rebellion that had arisen several days ago. Or as light as it would get, Zeno knew, though the sky still roiled with clouds, dark as a fresh bruise, as the rain turned the soft ground to muddy water all around them.

It had had not stopped raining all night in fact, and it was very slow going. By the time they stumbled up to the gate both were thoroughly soaked with water and splattered with mud, shivering with cold and all but falling asleep on their feet. At least the blood had all washed off a while ago, thought Zeno. He didn’t want to have to try to explain that to anyone else; not now, not like this. And all the while, he had to keep forcibly stilling his own fingers, fighting the temptation to let them go to the place on his shoulder where the sword cut had sliced his flesh, cutting down to the bone. Even to his heart, he was certain. And yet beneath his skin, he could feel it beating, blood that should have drained out onto the ground still running resolutely through his veins.  

But for all that, it was not really himself he was most worried about. Abi always grew irritable when he was tired, that much Zeno knew well enough; his quietness and lack of grumbling, his gritted teeth, suggested to Zeno the wound on Abi’s arm was giving him pain, though Abi never complained for a moment.

He breathed a sigh of relief when the guards let them past the gate of the fort, sending up a call to alert the whole guard company that their Lords Ouryuu and Seiryuu had returned safe at last.

Guen and Shuten were there, Zeno felt through their dragon’s blood connection, the familiar white and green lights close by in his awareness.

“They couldn’t have to come to find us? It would have taken less than an hour, if that green - ” Abi began to grumble, only to stop short, causing Zeno to almost walk into him.

Zeno swerved quickly, grasping Abi’s sleeve. “Seiryuu… what - ”

Abi was looking up, towards the little cluster of stone buildings, higher up the hill. “They’re…”

“I know, I sense them too” said Zeno. “Can… can you see them?”

Abi nodded, slowly, gaze fixed on something high above. “They’re… in the hospital. They’re hurt.”

Zeno’s heart contracted. Their eyes met, and together they began to run, weariness forgotten, up the stairs that ran in a spiral around the inside of the curtain wall, almost tripping over their feet, mumbling hasty apologies over their shoulders as they almost collided with several startled soldiers.

Finally they reached the landing where the long, low building that served as the fort’s hospital stood, soldiers milling about outside exclaiming and moving out of the way at the appearance of Ouryuu and Seiryuu. This region had been unstable lately even before erupting into the outright rebellion that the four dragons had travelled here to put an end to. At least they had been able to do that much; but Zeno had not realised this many soldiers were here, let alone the number who had been wounded in the apparently constant stream of small skirmishes at fords and crossroads that they had been told of.

Still, neither Zeno nor Abi paid them much attention now, for they were opening the doors, walking inside the long hallway lined with beds. Zeno looked around nervously, but Abi pushed on, gaze fixed straight ahead.

“Zeno! Abi!”

The loud voice made Zeno start, though Abi was already looking at Guen, who was running towards them. Before Zeno could say another word, Guen had swept them both up in his arms in a bone-crushing hug, actually lifting Zeno off his feet. After a mere moment though, Abi was gasping in pain, and hastily Guen set them back down on their feet.

“Seiryuu, you’re hurt!”

Abi frowned, clutching his arm. “It’s nothing.”

“No it’s not” said Guen firmly. “Come on. Let’s get it cleaned and bandaged.” He narrowed his eyes, turning to Zeno. “What about you, Ouryuu?” He felt suddenly exposed as Guen’s eyes narrowed, lingering on the tear in his tunic.

Zeno shrugged, touching the place. “Just a scratch. I heal quickly, remember?”

For a moment longer, Guen hesitated, and Zeno felt Abi’s gaze linger on him too. Then Guen nodded. “As long as you’re not hurt.”

Zeno shook his head, and smiled.

“But you are, Hakuryuu!” said Abi, in some alarm. There was a thick swathe of bandages wrapped about Guen’s human hand.

“It’s not a serious wound” said Guen quickly, making a face. “A sword…”

“He grabbed a sword with his human hand” came a voice from behind them, sharp, though a little weary. “Can you imagine anything more idiotic?”

Zeno whirled, his eyes widening. “Ryokuryuu!” A chill went through Zeno at the sight of Shuten. Dressed only in loose trousers and soft shoes, his hair untied over his shoulders. His chest was wrapped with bandages, thickly tied over the back of one shoulder. He was standing, though he looked rather pale and worn, with deep shadows under his eyes.

“Are you alright?”

Shuten smiled wryly, passing a hand over his face. “Well… I’ve been better.”

“ _That’s_ what you say after you lost so much blood?” snapped Guen. “That sword cut to the back - ”

“- Didn’t kill me” finished Shuten, attempting a grin.

“You shouldn’t even be out of bed!” protested Guen, gesturing back to the screened-off area behind them. “If you’re not going to listen to me, you should at least listen to the doctors!”

Shuten shrugged, then winced in pain as the motion jarred his wound.

Abi rolled his eyes, voice tight with worry. “You’ll bleed through your bandages that way.”

“He already did, twice” said Guen with a sigh, already starting to shepherd them all through to where the doctors and nurses were bustling to and fro, soldiers with bandaged wounds who had been milling around immediately starting out of the way in alarm at the sight of all four dragon warriors together. “He wanted to go back and look for you immediately, but only succeeded in tearing his stitches when he tried to escape from the roof. Then he did it again.”

Shuten muttered something unintelligible, turning red despite the pallor of his skin.

“What a foolish creature” said Abi, shaking his head disdainfully; there was no real heat in it though, only relief.

A voice from behind, making them turn. “Lord Hakuryuu! Lord Ryokuryuu! Are you wounds giving you pain? I can make up some poppy tea if - ”

Guen turned to face the young doctor’s assistant who had spoken, moving his human fingers within the bandages. “No, thank you, Min-Gyu, I am not in pain.” He looked over at Shuten, who was shaking his head, pacing restlessly. “Maybe for that one.” He ignored Shuten’s dark look and pointed over at Abi, serious now. “However, please have someone see to Seiryuu’s wound.”

The young assistant nodded quickly and hurried off, and presently a doctor was ushering Abi over to a chair, pulling down his torn and damp sleeve and beginning to wash the wound with a clean cloth and a steaming bowl of hot water.

When Zeno returned from changing from his tattered, wet clothes into warm dry ones, Abi too was dressed in borrowed clothes, his arm wrapped in clean bandages. Once he had changed Guen and Shuten’s bandages too the doctor packed up his supplies and left the four of them alone to talk. They had been granted the officers’ rooms, which were the largest in the little fort. The whole place was simple and rather sparse, but Zeno had no need of luxuries, and they were all well used to that. Now, they sat by a warm wood-burning stove, over which sat a large pot of stew that had been brought up for them from the mess hall, keeping hot, and heaped stoneware bowls of rice. When he smelled the food, Zeno realised that he hadn’t eaten in a long while; not since yesterday. Yet still, he ate slowly, hardly tasting the food, too tangled in his own thoughts.

“Zeno?”

He blinked, realising he was holding his chopsticks in midair, mouth half open as he stared blankly at the space before him. Hastily, he ate another mouthful, forcing an unconcerned smile.

After they had finished eating, they moved the bowls aside and grouped once more about the warmth of the stove. It was a cold, dark night, and the rain was still coming down in sheets outside; they could hear it rattling against the roof above. It was already starting to get dark once more, for the days were short at this time of year.

For a while they sat in silence, each with their own thoughts.

After a while, Guen tugged distractedly at the bandages around his human hand. “I wanted to say…I’m sorry, Seiryuu, Ouryuu. When you returned, I was seeing about leading out a party to find you since Ryokuryuu was wounded, but I should have acted sooner…” He shook his head. “We… we made a mistake, sending you off alone in the first place. Neither of us thought there would be any more of them in that valley, we thought you would have a clear escape that way…”

Abi frowned. “It isn’t _your_ fault. I would have been able to see the stragglers that cut us off, if I hadn’t been…” he clenched his fists in his lap, clearly frustrated. “I just endangered Zeno, and both of you.”

“No. Don’t do that.” Shuten was shaking his head distractedly, staring away from them all, into the warm glow of the stove.

“…What?”

He looked up sharply at Abi, lip curling. “The paralysis is the price of your power. We all know that. Blaming yourself, dwelling on it… it’s just grating to listen to.”

Abi raised an incredulous brow. “ _You’re_ calling _my_ voice grating now?”

“When it’s self pitying, yes.” He frowned and looked away again, hair falling over his face. “We’re all safe” he muttered. “The rebels are scattered and divided, their uprising in pieces. If you ask me, it sounds like we did what we set out to do.” He hesitated. “And we should start back to the castle as soon as we can, to… report back to the king.”

There was a time when Zeno would never have dreamt that he would hear such words coming from Shuten, who so loved the open lands and the wind in his hair, delighting in battle and in his own speed and strength. But now, the words held a fear concealed behind them that Zeno recognised well enough; it was a fear they all shared after all, slow and cloying, and it had been there for some time now.

It was the fear that the next time they returned to the castle, the king would not be there. It was the fear of what they couldn’t - for all their powers - save him from, no matter how hard they tried.

Zeno remembered the first time Hiryuu had fallen ill; it had been several months ago, some sort of wasting sickness that weakened him, kept him to his bed. None of the castle doctors had been able to say with any certainty what the cause was. It had been alright though; the king had recovered fairly quickly, and at the time they had thought little more of it. But looking back, it had been only the beginning; Hiryuu had gotten ill more and more often ever since, until one sickness merged into another, fevers and chills, weariness and aches and pains stealing the shine from his eyes, taking his appetite and leaving him thin and pale.

Years ago, Zeno knew, Hiryuu would have come with them on a mission such as this. He always did like to have a hand of his own in the bringing of peace to the land, and he was a fiercer fighter even than most people knew. But now, his body was too weak, and so when the dragons left the castle to maintain Hiryuu’s rule over the fractious, warring clans and bandit factions that seemed to rise up out of nothing, the king now remained behind.

(Perhaps, Zeno sometimes thought, he had simply become worn by the shining brilliance of the dragon god’s soul within him, burning his human body from the inside out. But Zeno always stopped himself from following that line of thought any further; he found the implications frightened him.)

And whenever they returned, their King seemed a little more wan, a little less there than he had been when they had left. Zeno had thought it was his imagination at first, but he knew the others felt it too, and dual pain from the dragon’s blood and their own very human hearts.

Still, they hardly ever spoke of it even amongst themselves. Even in implication. Sure enough, after Shuten’s words, no one said anything for a short time, a silence that seemed to weigh heavy in the air between them.

“I agree, actually” said Guen at last, breaking the hush. “That we should leave tomorrow morning, if you’re all well enough to travel.” He looked pointedly at Shuten. “Though we’ll have to keep an eye on him.”

“I think I can manage that” said Abi.

Shuten made a face, but to Zeno’s surprise he did not protest.

“What happened to you two, anyway?” he asked Abi and Zeno curiously, after a moment more of thoughtful silence. “You never did say.”

Abi froze for just the briefest instant, then shrugged, turning to Zeno. “I… missed most of it.”

Zeno hesitated too, caught off-guard; whatever had happened to him, he still had no idea how to explain it to the others. “Ah…” he began, feeling all their eyes on him. “I… we…” he licked his lips nervously, stalling for time. “Well, a man attacked us. He… tried to cut me but… he missed. Then he ran off.”

“That was a lucky escape you had, then. I promise I’ll keep a closer watch next time… for both of you.” Guen frowned, tilting his head. “Are… are you sure that was all? Because we both sensed…” he gestured vaguely, with his scaled right hand, as though casting about for the right word, “… _something_ …”

“It was like you were in pain. No, more than that” said Shuten, very quietly, staring into the flames again. “We… we thought for a moment there… you might be…” he tailed off, but Zeno could see the tightness around his mouth, the tension in his shoulders, and it told him all he needed to know of the fear the others had felt.

Guilt rushed through him. He shrugged. “I’m sorry we made you worry.” He smiled, brightly. “I guess it really was just a lucky escape!”

Shuten smiled ruefully, reaching up to ruffle Zeno’s hair. “You don’t say. Where are you keeping all that luck, hmm? Can’t you share, kid?”

Zeno simply shrugged, ducking the hand in his hair with a laugh; that drew a laugh from Guen too, and a weary smile from Abi, and in that moment, Zeno was grateful for what had happened, whatever it was. If he had died in that valley, they would be grieving and hurting right now. But instead, they were smiling and laughing, through the pain of their wounds. He had been saved - though he still didn’t really understand that - and for the moment, that was enough, if it made his brothers smile. For that was what they were to him, he had realised some time ago. 

_Now, if only he could do the same for their king, and bring him back from the brink of whatever darkness he was slipping into._

He was brought back to the present by the sound of Abi’s voice, snapping back at Shuten. “Luck, you say? I’d say you’ve already got enough of that. It’s the only way I can see that you could have survived this long, if you do such stupid things. Trying to escape the doctors? Really?”

“Oh, you mean when I was trying to go and rescue _you_?” Shuten looked a little flustered once more. “Well, next time maybe I won’t bother.”

“Not if you’re wounded, idiot.”

Shuten shrugged languidly, though Zeno could see him bite his lip a little in pain. “It’s hardly anything.”

Abi gave an exasperated sigh. “I can _see_ the wound beneath the bandages, you know. It looks serious.”

“It _is_ serious” interrupted Guen, stilling Shuten’s protests. He sighed in resignation, pulling once more at the bandages on his own hand. “Well, it seems like we’ll all have a new battle scar from this day.” He looked around, at the bandages on Abi’s arm, on Shuten’s back and around his chest. “Except for Zeno” he amended, smiling. “Maybe you really _are_ lucky. But I’m just glad we can return to the king and tell him that all is well.”

They all nodded, quietly.

After a while, Abi stifled a yawn, and Guen laughed. “Tomorrow” he said firmly, as Abi started up from where his head had been nodding forward onto his chest. “Let’s all get some sleep first.”

Zeno nodded. _Tomorrow_. He did feel tired, a little; still, he knew he would sleep little tonight, for he had too much to think on. But it cheered him that tomorrow he would return to Hiryuu Castle, tomorrow he would see the king.

After all, there were some questions Zeno wanted to ask him.

**Author's Note:**

> \- I added in some details that were in the OAD that weren't in the manga, because Shuten and Guen also getting hurt was apparently too much good angst for my writer-brain to resist :)))
> 
> \- I realised that Abi's bird doesn't appear at this point (or at all after that scene at the beginning). Still, I like to think that she is still around (because anything else is pain) and just doesn't come to the battlefield with him. (Also I've written myself into a corner by having written about Abi's bird in another fic that's set later on in the timeline, oops...) Thus, I like to think that Abi left her at the castle to keep Hiryuu's spirits up while they were away. In case anyone was wondering.
> 
> \- I love all the originals, so much they are so precious <3


End file.
